Casey James — Putting the Cool Back in Texas
Friday, May 21st, 2010 | American Idol, Concerts, General | No Comments
The Man from Cool Texas
The run is over for contestant Casey James, the pride and joy of dusty Cool, Texas — but who could feel sorry for the svelte blond Texas bluesman given the fawning he has received from female viewers, including the ageless Shania Twain herself. And there is no way an understated guy like James could ever win a true-to-form reality show like this in which sensationalism is required to trump substance. In his second to last performance on the show James gave a solid and bluesy rendition of “OK, It’s Allright With Me” by Eric Hutchinson. He received tepid reviews from the Judges, but who cares. This is the group who every week seems to crave Ethel Merman-styled high notes, spandex unitards and sexually ambiguous performances that shock, as if more is always more, and as if subtlely is evil. Idol isn’t about perpetuating guys like Casey James, nor would a young Eric Clapton have had a chance before the self-important analysis of Kara DioGuardi.
It is a fact that Idol contestants get less cool each week they compete on the show. You realize this when you review the video montages of the departing contestants — Idol’s overbearing presence dulls the edges of artistry as it works to m
anufacture cookie cutter Justin Bieber-esque clones. The Ford commercials, the corny tap and jazz ensembles before each Results show, the hair and wardrobe make-overs . . . in the end it is hard to know what is manufactured by FOX and what is the genuine article. Yet I keep watching like a meth-addict.
Who knew James would make it this far — second runner-up — when Victoria Beckham a/k/a Posh Spice asked him to remove his shirt during his first audition, revealing a slender if somewhat furry physique that caused Kara DioGuardi to blush and caused me confusion because it appeared that Mr. James did not have nipples.
So there you have it, Mount Prospect, Illinois native Lee DeWyze and Western Ohio’s Crystal Bowersox are headed to the Final. As I stated in my last Post, DeWyze is too good for this show, and he “should” be the hands-down winner, and thereafter he should be capable of producing real music, unlike the limp post-Idol debut of previous winner Kris Allen, whose “Live Like Your Dying” makes lactose-intolerant people immediately crap in their pants without warning.
Justin Bieber doesn’t know how to use doors
Friday, May 21st, 2010 | Concerts, Justin Bieber | No Comments
The coolest teen on the planet hit a door the other day, oh man Justin you are so smooth.
Celtics Grab 2-0 Series Lead with 95-92 Win Over Magic in Orlando
Thursday, May 20th, 2010 | Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Orlando Magic, Sports | No Comments
The Boston Celtics are just brimming with confidence right now. What a difference it makes to have a healthy Kevin Garnett on the defensive end for an entire post-season run. Although his stat lines have not been overwhelming, Garnett is the main reason that the Celtics have been able to limit the explosive offenses of the Heat, the Cavaliers and the Magic so far this post-season. Two more wins against the Magic, and we’ll be able to see if he can do the same against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in the NBA Finals (as they did 2 years ago en route to the title).
The Celtics are now in a great position – having won 2 road games to start the series. If they can keep the Magic from winning 4 of the next 5 games in the series, they will advance to their 2nd NBA Finals series in 3 seasons. Paul Pierce led the way again in Game 2, scoring 28 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Rajon Rondo exploded for 15 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. Garnett scored just 10 points, but grabbed 9 boards with 2 blocked shots.
To put this into perspective, we can’t forget that the Magic had won 8 straight games this post-season over the Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks and 14 games overall before running into the rejuvenated Celtics. In their 1st 8 post-season games, the Magic had scored at least 90 points all of them. In three of their 4 wins over the Hawks, they scored over 105 points in each game. 88 points in Game 1 and 92 points in Game 2 is not going to cut it. It won’t get any easier for the Magic, as they now have to go up against the Celtics on their home turf in the TD North Garden. It certainly isn’t over by any means – we saw the Celtics lay an egg against the Cavs at home in the previous series. But they are going to need a full team effort if they have any hopes of reaching the NBA Finals for the 2nd consecutive season.
Game 3 is set for 8:30PM EST on Saturday night in Boston.
Blackhawks Seize 2-0 Advantage over Sharks in Western Conference Finals
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, San Jose Sharks, Sports | No Comments
They are a team of destiny. Riding an unbelievable road winning streak, the Blackhawks beat the Sharks 4-2 at the Shark Tank on Tuesday night and took a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals. It was the 7th straight road playoff win for the Hawks – tying an NHL record. Only the 1999 Colorado Avalanche, the 1995 New Jersey Devils and the 1980 and 1982 New York Islanders have had similar 7-game road winning streaks in a single post-season.
The Blackhawks raced out to 1 3-0 lead midway through the 2nd period. Andrew Ladd got the Hawks on the scoreboard first with a 1st period goal. Then, Dustin Byfuglien and Jonathan Toews each scored on deflections in front of the net just 1:30 apart in the 2nd period to give the Hawks the 3-0 advantage. And although the Sharks answered with a goal of their own in the 2nd period to cut the lead to 3-1, Antti Niemi and the Hawks defense stayed focused the rest of the way as the Hawks still held a 2-goal lead entering the final frame. When Troy Brouwer scored off some nifty passes by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marian Hossa to give the Hawks a 4-1 lead with only 13+ minutes left in the game, you had a feeling this one was over.
After the teams combined for 95 shots in Game 1, as we predicted, it was a much more controlled game for both squads in Game 2. The Sharks still outshot the Hawks at home (27-22), but they managed just 7 shots on goal in the final frame. Niemi put forth another incredible effort making 25 saves against the #1 seeded Sharks in their home arena.
The Hawks are playing with a ton of confidence. You can see it in their effort on the ice and in their post-game comments.
Defenseman Duncan Kieth was amazed that the Hawks won both games in San Jose — “It’s a good start. To come into this building, a tough building to come into, and to get two wins is good. At the same time as a team we realize that there’s still a lot of hockey left to be played.”
Star forward Patrick Kane loves the team’s comraderie on the road — “The way we’ve been playing on the road, it just seems like everything has gone right for us. Sometimes you get on the road, it’s just a simpler attitude. We’ve had a lot of fun with bonding in the hotel and different things. Sometimes you do that, it’s almost like you’re clicking before you’re even on the ice.”
And Head Coach Joel Quenneville credits his staff and team for being to stick to the game plan on the road – “I like our approach. I think our focus is in the right areas. The guys are sticking together off the ice, come prepared for games, playing a simpler game than we’ve probably seen at home.”
The series continues on Friday night at the United Center in Chicago. The Hawks have played much better on the road than at home – they are just 3-3 at home – so the Sharks still have a chance to make this a series. If the Hawks won on Friday night, the would be able to complete the sweep on Sunday afternoon in front of their home town crowd at the UC.
NBA Update — Celtics Top Magic, Lakers Top Suns in Game 1 of Conference Finals
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010 | Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Sports | No Comments
Here’s a quick update on the NBA Conference Finals –
The Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic 92-88 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday. The Celtics had another balanced attack on both ends of the court. Ray Allen led the way with 25 points and 7 rebounds. Paul Pierce chipped in 22 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Rajon Rondo had 8 points and 8 assists, while Kevin Garnett scored 8 points with 11 boards. The Celtics held on for the win despite being outscored 30-18 in the 4th quarter.
Game 2 is tonight in Orlando at 8:30PM EST on ESPN.
The Los Angeles Lakers crushed the Phoenix Suns 128-107 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Monday in Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant went nuts in the 3rd quarter and finished with 40 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. The big surprise was Lamar Odom – 19 points and 19 rebounds. Pau Gasol scored 21 points and Ron Artest chipped in 14 points.
Game 2 is Wednesday night in Los Angeles at 9:00 PM EST on TNT.
Blackhawks Overcome 1-0 1st Period Hole, Top Sharks 2-1 in Game 1 of Western Conference Finals
Monday, May 17th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, NHL, San Jose Sharks, Sports, Vancouver Canucks | 1 Comment
OK — I am sold on Goalie Antti Niemi. What a performance from the rookie goalie in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday afternoon. The Sharks scored on Jason Demers power play goal just over 11 minutes into the 1st period and then continued to barrage Niemi to the tune of 13 1st period shots on goal. But the rookie never gave in and he seemed to get more and more confident as the game wore. 18 saves in the 2nd period; 14 more saves in the 3rd period; a total off 44 saves on 45 shots on goal in the 1st game ever in the Shark Tank of San Jose’s HP Pavilion. Unbelievable. Like most hockey critics and analsyts, I questioned whether Cristobal Huet or Niemi would be able to lead the Blackhawks to 16 wins in the post-season to capture that elusive Stanley Cup title. After his performance in Round 1, when he pitched 2 shutouts after Game 1 and Game 3 losses to the Predators, you could see that he had it in him to perform at a high level under high pressure situations. The Hawks won the final 3 games of that series and then carried that momentum over into the Semi-Finals against the Vancouver Canucks. Sure Niemi (and the rest of the team for that matter) looked “off” in the Game 1 and Game 5 losses at the United Center, but when you win 3 road games in a series this late in the season, you gotta be doing something right. Niemi took it to another level on Sunday. Both teams had been coming off of longer-than-usual layoffs (Hawks 4 days; Sharks 8 days) so you didn’t really know what to expect. Both teams came out firing right from the start and they combined for a total of 95 shots on goal – which is a TON for a playoff hockey game. I doubt we’ll see a similar display on Tuesday night as the 2 teams now have a game under their belts to figure out each other a little bit more, but if Niemi plays even half as well as he did on Sunday, the Hawks should be in good shape.
As for the Hawks offense, patrick Sharp tied up the game 7 minutes into the 2nd period with his 6th goal of the post-season. Then, in the 3rd period, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane assisted Dustin Byfuglien on the game winner with just under 7 minutes left to play in regulation. After being held scoreless in the 1st series against the Predators, Byfuglien has now racked up 5 post-season goals in 2010.
Marian Hossa smacked 6 shots on goal in the win, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets a goal or 2 in a game. Kane and Sharp followed Hossa with 5 shots on goal apiece. The Hawks applied a lot of pressure to Ebgeni Nabokov and look for them to be even more aggressive in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
The Hawks did what they needed to do – win one of the 1st two games on the road in the Shark Tank. They can play a little more laid-back on Tuesday which could allow them to sneak another road win before heading back to Chicago for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday over the weekend. Either way, you have to like the performance – only 3 more wins to go until the Hawks get a chance to claim the Stanley Cup for the city of Chicago…
Western Conference Finals Start Today — Hawks @ Sharks
Sunday, May 16th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, San Jose Sharks, Sports | No Comments
Bring it on – the Chicago Blackhawks kick off the Western Conference Finals in San Jose today with a 12 noon west coast puck drop against the Sharks.
Antti Niemi will face the Sharks for the 1st time this season (Cristobal Huet started the 4 regular season games against the Sharks in which the Hawks won 3 of the games).
Hawks star Patrick Kane is excited for the series to begin after his team had a 5-day layoff and after the Sharks had an 8-day layoff: “Both teams might come out a little sloppy, but I’m sure we’ll find our game pretty soon in the series. I think it’s going to make for a great series. I think there’s a lot of great players.
The Hawks finished just 1 point behind the Sharks for the best record in the West this season. The Sharks have never made it to a Stanley Cup series, losing to the Calgary Flames in their only franchise finals appearance back in 2004. The Hawks have not won a Stanley Cup series since 1961.
Head Coach Joel Quenneville says it’s not good enough that his squad has reached the Conference Finals for the 2nd year in a row — “We shouldn’t feel satisfied. We shouldn’t feel like we’ve accomplished anything. I know getting back to where we got to last year, it’s where we wanted to be. But getting to the next round is what we’re all about. One obstacle that the Hawks must overcome – a rookie goaltender. Antti Niemi is a rookie and an NHL team has not rode a rookie goalie all the way to a Stanley Cup Championship since Patrick Roy led the Montreal Canadiens to the promised land as a rookie back in 1986. Come on Antti – let’s make a name for yourself and bring home a championship for the city of Chicago. Go Hawks!!!
Flyers Join Record Books with 4-3 Win Over Bruins in Game 7 in Boston
Saturday, May 15th, 2010 | General, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks | No Comments
Crazy – the Boston Bruins raced out to a 3-0 series lead and looked to be on the verge of reaching the NHL’s Eastern Conference Finals. But just like that, the Flyers became only the 3rd team to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a 7-game series to oust the bewildered Bruins out of the playoffs. The other 2 teams to accomplish the feat were the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs who beat the Detroit Red Wings and the 1975 New York Islanders who ousted the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It is an unlikely Conference Finals match-up between the 7th seeded Flyers and the 8th seeded Montreal Canadiens who took out the Washington Capitals and the Penguins. In contrast, the Western Conference Finals features the conference’s top 2 teams – the San Jose Sharks and the Chicago Blackhawks. Get ready for some more exciting NHL playoff action…
Celtics Oust Cavs with Exciting 94-85 Win at TD Garden in Boston
Friday, May 14th, 2010 | Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Sports | No Comments
I think it was a much more exciting game than most people expected. The Cavs just didn’t roll over and give up as most critics expected, but a big 3rd quarter from the Celtics (25-18 edge) proved too much for the Cavs to overcome in the 4th quarter. A 2-point halftime lead for the Celtics ballooned into a 10 point lead after 36 minutes, and even though the Cavs stuck with the Celtics in the 4th quarter (18-18) they were never able to make a sustained run against Rajon Rondo and his club.
Once again, it was Rajon Rondo who controlled the tempo and game for the Celtics. Rondo scored 21 points and dished out 12 assists. And although he only grabbed 3 rebounds, he limited his turnoves to just 4 and also had 5 steals on the defensive end. Not a bad overall performance at all.
His play once again freed up Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to go to town on the undermanned Cavs. The Celtics just had too many weapons for the Cavs to handle.
Lebron James did his best to force a Game 7 back in Cleveland on Sunday night, but it wasn’t enough. James had his 6th career playoff triple-double – 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists – and although he is the 2-time defending NBA MVP and his team is the owner of a season high 61-wins, that much-coveted NBA title still eludes James. “The fact that it’s over right now is definitely a surprise to me… I want to win. That’s my only thing, my only concern. I’ve always prided myself — it’s all about winning for me and I think the Cavs are committed to doing that. But at the same time, I’ve given myself options to this point. Me and my team, we have a game plan that we’ll execute and we’ll see where we’re at.”
Now it’s off to Orlando for the Celtics and off to the golf course for Lebron. Will he end up staying in Cleveland, or will he take a leap of faith and head for the Big Apple (New York Knicks or New Jersey Nets in Brooklyn) or the Second City of Chicago? Only time will tell.
American Idol – Michael Lynche Ends His Run
Friday, May 14th, 2010 | American Idol, Concerts | No Comments
It was not surprising that Michael Lynche was sent packing this week from his fifteen minutes of fame as the third runner-up on Fox’s hit TV show American Idol. On this show, fifteen minutes of fame lasts so long that some contestants start thinking that they are actual celebrities. Lynche is a very large man — could probably eat Ryan Seacrest — but not a fantastic singer. To this writer, he is a cheesier version of Luther Vandross, but without the vocal range or musical heft. It was time for him to go.
Of the remaining three contestants — Lee DeWyze, Crystal Bowersox and Casey James — all seem to be credible musicians. They are largely believable, have a genuin musical identity, and thus rarely embarrass themselves with the antics of typical Idol contestants who seem to lose Street Cred every time they pathetically ass-kiss the judges or explain hackneyed, karaoke-style vocal disasters with the American Idol contestant canned response “I had fun with it.”
I have a clear favorite — Lee DeWyze — but I find myself wondering whether it would be better for him to lose. At its core, American Idol is a Fox-style cheese-fest, and it robs its finalist contestants of dignity just as a yellow chicken suit does to a man hired to promote a rotisserie grill. Imagine buying a Taylor Hicks CD? Has anyone unrelated to that over-confident divo winner ever done that? The problem I have with Mr. Hicks is that he made the mistake of believing his title, and started assuming people unrelated to him actually give a crap about how he feels “as an artist.” Were the Idol predecessors who kicked-ass on the Gong Show artists?
DeWyze is a former paint shop salesman and I can completely imagine chatting him up about whether Mocha Moon or Pale Celery would be a better pallate for my powder room. The reason I like him so far is because he still seems like a paint shop guy, despite the adulation that the Fox-Industrial Complex has showered upon him. Michael Lynche got too proud of himself a few months ago and that was the beginning of the end for him. We got it Mike, you are huge and you could play ping pong with the heads of most men. But you flexed too much, and your smile was faker each week, and the American mainstreem can detect this, the 1992 election of Bill Clinton not withstanding.
I’ll be disappointed if DeWyze loses I guess, because as a matter of competition I think he is the best and most relevant singer on the show. But I’ll be even more disappointed if when he does win he starts throwing off Lorenzo Lamas winks and otherwise forfeits his biggest human asset in exchange for the behaviors the needy contestants think they are required to adopt.
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